Netflix docu probes the rise and fall of disturbing Korean cult preying on influencers.
A new true crime documentary on Netflix delves deep into an alleged cult masquerading as a talent management company that preyed on young social media influencers for two decades in the US. “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” examines how pastor Robert Shinn lured dancers to join his Shekinah church through promises of fame.
The family of Miranda Wilking, who was the first to join the group in 2019, serves as the entry point into investigating disturbing claims of financial exploitation, coercion, and psychological torment. Through her, it emerges Shinn booked lucrative brand deals for members but siphoned 70% of earnings to himself via the front organization 7M.
Two immigrant sisters who joined in 1999 relate even more harrowing tales of longstanding abuse, with one revealing heart-wrenching regret of parental abandonment. Disturbingly, Shinn had also dabbled in film production before capitalizing on the influencer boom by tightly controlling members’ lives.
While glossily produced, the documentary struggles to focus amid too many perspectives. The absence of abuser accounts also leaves key gaps, though perpetrator motives increasingly crystallize. Experts emphasize cults prey on humanity’s fragile bonds, with followers paradoxically enjoying illusory freedom despite radical indoctrination.
The film lifts the veil on deceptive schemes that pose societal risks and offers a sad reminder of the due diligence needed in today’s tech-savvy world. At the same time, its piecemeal approach dilutes the potency of individual horrors, markedly impacting survivors of organized deceit.
